Gay.

That one word can ruin, disappoint, humiliate, and degrade a life.

Gay. It’s powerful. Uneducated people throw it around like it’s a baseball trying to reach homebase. But many gays do not have a “homebase” where they are safe from the scary hell they might be stuck in. Some parents can’t grasp that they are holding their child back from who they want — and need — to be. They want them to conform to what society has laid out, and stick to what is usual. In parents’ eyes, its more dangerous for a gay child to express themselves than to let their feelings build up inside. It’s selfish to think in that way; a parent should want what is in the best interest of their kid if they truly loved them. You can’t say, “I love you!” as you lock their closet’s door.

If parent’s are out of the question, what about siblings? Or friends? The two go hand in hand. Many people — whether they admit it, or not — find their best friends in their siblings. Brothers and sisters understand each other more than anyone else. Growing up together, playing Barbie’s, or Lego’s, or falling off of the monkey bars — siblings do everything together, and are always there for each other. They support you when the monkey bars won’t. They catch you, bring you back up, and swing with you to the other side. They’ll teach you that you aren’t doing anything wrong. It’s not a crime to be gay; is it my fault whether I love a man or a woman?

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “love” as: “a strong affection for another” and “affection and tenderness felt by lovers.” Nowhere in this definition does it say love is strictly between a man and a woman. The definition of “lover” from Dictionary.com doesn’t specify gender either.

However, “marriage” shows varied results:
1.

a.

the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

b.

a similar institution involving partners of the same gender: gay marriage.

You know that society is evolving when the dictionary is split. Is it saying that heterosexual and homosexual marriages are both okay? I don’t see why a reliable source would provide information if it didn’t reflect real views.

This is proof that there are books in the world that are pro-gay. No one deserves to live life as a secret. Or feel ashamed walking down the street. Or afraid for the school dance because they will be judged for escorting a person of the same sex, or arriving without anyone at all.

Schools are awful places to try to be yourself. You’re surrounded by strangers who don’t understand you, and don’t accept your beliefs. You think you can hide with your friends, but they’re not always going to support you, and when they back down, you’re all alone. It’s up to you to take on the world with your head held high. It’s up to you to stand up to the bullies and the closed-minded judgers. It’s up to you to make a change in this difficult world.

You may be alone from all the people you once trusted, but you stand side-by-side with all the people who are helping the gays get to a better place. ItGetsBetter.org, and TheTrevorProject.org, are two of the many organizations constantly working to improve lives for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgendered) youth. Lady Gaga is actively running rallies, marches, speeches, and meetings to gain rights for gays in America and around the world. On the title song of her latest album, Born This Way, she sings, “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born to survive.” It’s okay to be gay. Be proud of who you are. Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough, that you aren’t normal, that God hates you, that who you are is wrong, that you will go to Hell, that you’ll never make it anywhere, that you’re ruining your life, that you’ll die alone, that you’re sick, that you’re a fag, or that you shouldn’t be gay. Stand up to them; show them that you are proud of who you are, and you can do anything. You are amazing. It Gets Better. You will always find help if you seek it.

The word “gay” doesn’t only cause life to go downhill. When I think of “gay” words that come to mind are: proud, brave, courageous, independent, deserving, loving, devoted, passionate, real. You are whoever is inside of you. Don’t change yourself — change the world around you.